Scuff plate



J. S. REID SCUFF PLATE May 9, .1944.

Filed Dec. '7, 1940 n.4 m. Ll

INVENTQR D 5 HW@ R N SM@ .n

BMA M M4 FIG-5 Particularly Patented 9v UNITED STATES.' PA

l *scorn PLATE James s. new, shaker-Heights, omo, assigner to Thel Standard Products Mich., a corporation of Ohio l Company, Detroit,

Appumim December 7, 1940, seriai No. ascisse, '(01. 2li-c4) under stress of quantity .production by modern methods it is inevitable that certain variations in to a scuif plate, and,more

dimension are encountered between individual bodies. With particular reference only to the ileld of the present invention, it is well known to those engaged in manufacture of such bodies that the door opening may vary by as much as one half inchinwidth.

Since scuif plates, as hereinabove noted, are now customarily `used in automobile doorways and since, in addition to the utilitarian purpose y mentioned, they also serve to enhance the general appearance of the vehicle interior as revealed when the door is open, the manufacturer is confronted by the problem of choosing a scuif plate trim member which' can #be neatly fitted into I` f. s of various widths.

Certain alternative remedieshave been sug- Eested. each one attended 'by obvious disadvantages. It has been proposed'that, the assembly linesl should -be equipped with a stock of scuii plate trim portions of a plurality of lengths, from which stock the workman selects the one closest to the correct length. From a cost standpoint, in view of loss of time and cost of material, this method is quite undesirable. The generally used solution has been to providefa stock of only one size, that being the minimum width encountered in commercial practice, since it can always be installed without loss of time. In many cases however itleaves an unslghtly'aperture at one orboth ends ofthe strip.

Animportant object of the present invention is the provision of a scuff plate of adjustable length, yet simple in construction, and of pleasing appearance. lA further object is the provision of a scu plate of this'nature which is readi1yattachable and removable and which may be snugly and securely itted in place, while` adaptable to door sills of various lengths. Yet a further object of this invention is the provision ol' a slidably adjustable portion .on at least one part of such a scuiI plate, said adjustable portion being manufactured from any suitable material ina body structure II.

is positioned in the threshold portion of the doorway, immediately beneath 4the door, and sups -will appear more in detail of limitation,

such as rubber, metal, synthetic plastic material. or the like.;

Further objects are in part obvious, and in part hereinafter. The invention will from the following description of an embodiment thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing. in which from the interior,

A broken away. Fil. 2 is `a. `section taken on the' lmet-2 of- -the adjoining body portions Fig. 1. Fig. Fig. 2. Fig. Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of my adjustable end portions for a scuff plate.

Before the detail, it is to be understood that such invention is not limited to the details of'construction and/or the speciic arrangementl o1' parts herein illustrated and/or described, as the invention may obviously take other forms. It also is vto -be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for the there being no intention and no desire to limit the present'invention, as herein as deilned in the appended claims,

disclosed and beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In the drawing the numeral l0 indicates an automobile door supported in conventional fashion A scuif plate assembly I2 ported generally by the automobile body substructure I3 (Fig. 3). The scuif plate assembly comprises an outwardly extending, substantially horizontal sill portion I4, a semitubular trim por-` tion v\-|5, upwardly convex, and adjustable end pieces I6 laterto be described. L

When the door is open member I4 serves as a step tread being made preferably from a backing plate I'I of steel and provided with a facing portion I8 of rubber, or rubberslike material cemented or otherwise plate I'I. The step tread facing vided with spaced parallel grooves I9 to afford a nonskid foothold. The decorative trim member I5 forms an inner longitudinal boundary for facing member I8, and also serves as,v a sealing strip for the lower edge portion of the door. It

be more readily understood Fig. 1 is an elevation of avehicle door,

Fig. 3 is a section taken-on the line '3-f3 ot ris a section taken en the line 4 4 of- 5 is a'usection taken on. the line $`5 of'- lpresent invention is described v purpose of description and not:

attachedto the backing I8 may be prois in part supported, along its outer terminal edge, by an inwardly and downwardly turned flange portion 20 which may be welded, or otherwise firmly amxed to backing plate I1, or held in juxtaposition thereto by the contour of the aforesaid substructure.

The inwardly directed offset 22, outer'terminal edge of the bead I5 provides a recess in which the inner edge of mat I8 mayv be snugly seated. The inner edge of the semicylindrical .bead member I5 may conveniently reston the matting 23, or other suitable vehicle flooring composition. The bead I5 may preferably be formed from stainlesssteel, or other material of pleasing appearance.

Adjustable end pieces I8 are slidably secured on the ends of the bead I5. .An inwardly extending arched portion 24 is shaped to'seat upon bead I5 and a projecting end portion 25 is curved gradually upwardly(` to conform to the contour of the door frame. This projecting portion 25 is contoured, on its lower end face 26, to conform to the contacting face of a windlace 21 which customarily extends around the portion of the door frame exposed by the opening of the door,

serving as a sealing member when the door is.

shut. '131e end piece I6 may be of a metal or material identical with, or similar to, the metal or material composing the scuff member I5, or it may be made from rubber, rubber-like material, or suitable plastic material. In the form shown it is slotted at 28 to provide for the insertion therethrough of a screw 29 which is threaded into the automobile frame structure. The end piece'is laterally movable along the bead I5 to an extent limltedby the length of slot 28, and may be held in the desiredy final position by tightening screw; 29.' The base of the slidable en'd piece is seated in ya grooved out portion 30 of the floor immediately within the door, and, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the end a corresponding flange 2I on along the I of the trim member I5 extends part way into the arched aperture Si.

Instead of attaching the end piece I6 in place by a screw, as shown for instance in Figs. 3 and 5, it may be cemented in place by using any suitable adhesive. An end piece of relatively soft material such 1s sponge rubber could be securely held by an adhesive, and would augment the sealing action at the door corners. Members l. A scuiI plate structure for door frame openings of various widths, comprising an elongated scuif member extending over the greater portion of the width of said door opening, and an end pieceslidably mounted on an end of said scuif member, said end piece comprising a block like base portion having an upper surface, an arched portion integral4 with said base portion along one side and one end thereof and separated from said base portion along the respectively opposed side and end of said base portion, said arched portion and said base portion defining therebetween a recess, said scuff member being longitudinally adjustably disposed in telescoping relationship within said recess and having one edge portion only thereof supported along said upper surface of said base portion.

2. -A scuff plate structure for door frame openings of various widths, comprising an elongated scuff member extending over the greater portion of the width of said door opening, and an end piece slidably mounted on an end of said seuil' member, said end piece comprising a block like base portion having an upper surface, an arched portion integral' with said base portion along one side and one end thereof and separated from saidbase portion along the respectively opposed side and end of said base portion, said arched portion and said base portion defining therebetween a recess, said scuif member being longitudinally adjustably disposed in telescoping relationship within said recess and having one edge portion only thereof supported along said upper surface of said base portion, said arched portion overlying and conforming in contour to the upper outer surface of the enclosed end of said scuff member.

3. A scuif plate structure for door frame openings of various widths, lcomprising an elongated scuff member extending over the greater portion of the width of said door opening, and an end piece slidably mounted on an end of said scu member, said end piece comprising a block like base portion having an upper surface, an arched portion integral with said base portion along one side and one end thereof and separated from said I4 and I5 need not be integrally connected but may be maintained in adjacent relationship by attaching member I4 to the body structure I3, and securing member I5 to the body structure beneath matting 23. Members I4 and I5 may also be fabricated in a unitary section, thereby i dispensing with flanges 20 and 2I. It lis likewise feasible to eliminate the tread'material I8 and use member I4 directly for stepping'on.

As thus constructed the end pieces are preferably designed to match, in color, contour, or ptherwise, the appearance of the other members of the scuff plate assembly I2--I3. Unless the door opening is exceptionally wide, necessitating a very long bead member I3, the adjustable end pieces also serve to anchor the scuf plate assembly at its ends.

From the above description it is apparent that my improved scu plate assembly is of simplev const1uction and is readily attachable to its location in a vehicle door frame. It may be accurately adjusted and tted in place in openings of various sizes, and it provides a neat, finished appearance to a door sill,

What I claim is:

base portion along the respectively opposed side and end of said base portion, said arched portion extending outwardly above and beyond said base portion along said last named opposed side, said arched portion and said base portion dening therebetween a recess, said seuil' member being longitudinally adjustably disposedin telescoplng relationship within said recess and having one edge portion lonly thereof supported along said upper surface of said base portion.

4. A scuif plate structure for door frame open- -ings of various widths, comprising an elongated scuff member extending over the,greater portion of the width of said door opening, and an end piece slidably mounted on an end of said sauf! member, said end piece comprising a block like base portion having an upper surface, an arched portion integral with said base portion along one side and one end thereof and separated from said base portion along 'the respectively opposed side and end of said base portion, said arched portion and said base portion defining therebetween a recess, said scuif member being longitudinally adjustably disposed in telescoping relationship within said recess and having one edge portion only thereof supported along said upper surface of said base portionsaid end piece having a terminal projection integral therewith, and extending in a direction opposed to said scui member, said projection abuttin and conforming in contour with the lower portion oi' the side wall of said door-frame opening.

5. A scuiI plate structure for door frame openings of various widths, comprising an elongated seuil.' member extending over of the width of said door opening, said scufl member comprising a base portion, a vertically extending side wall, and an arched portion carried along the upper edge of said side wall, said arched portion having a Vfree edge overlying said base. and an end piece slidably mounted on an end of said scui member, said end piece comprising a block like base portion having an upper surface, an arched portion integral with said 15 the greater portion p being longitudinally adjustably disposed in telescoping relationship with said ehd piece so that the free edge of the arched portion of said scu! member rests along the upper surface of the base of said end piece, and so that the arched portion of saidend piece overlies and conforms in contour to the upper, outer surface oi' the arched portion of said .scuiI member.

' JAMES S. REID. 

